Slayers: FOAM
by Nin
Summary: (L/G A/Z Xelfi [aka F/X]) Xellos retains his personality even while he’s comatose, Lina thought, then burst out laughing despite herself. (Otherwise known as The Torture Filia Chapter. mwahaha...n_n)
1. In Which the Mysterious Hero is Saved by...

Slayers: FOAM  
  
by  
  
Nin Tendo  
  
Chapter 1 ~ In Which the Mysterious Hero is Saved by the Damsel in Distress  
  
  
  
~ Disclaimer ~ I really do not have the creative genious to come up with something like Slayers...(smile)  
  
  
  
Author's Forward: YES, this IS the Slayers fic you've all been waiting for! (Nin's nose extends dramatically, branching off and poking out Jillas and Gravos' remaining eyes) Umm...whoops. YOU GUYS DIDN'T SEE THAT!!! (Of course, since they're both blind now, they COULDN'T see that...*silence*...*cough*)  
  
Um, well, moving on...  
  
THE WARNINGS  
  
1. This Slayers fic has the potential to become a soap opera (hense, the title), so you may or my not enjoy the upcoming fic. (Though, it's not a satire or parody, so don't expect TOO many laughs. It's more of an angsty drama than anything else)  
  
2. This Slayers fic will support the traditional pairing and ONLY the traditional pairings. According to the authoress, Xelfi (aka X/F) is a traditional pairing. Beware of mindless fluff scenes. Beware of anti- character-bashing. Beware of the corpses of character-bashers littering the review box. (cough)  
  
3. This Slayers fic is mainly a Xellos introspective (among other characters). In other words, the authoress thought up an intricate little series of events that shamelessly provide excuses for Xellos' actions throughout his lifetime. Yes, you may actually be INTRIGED by the authoress' unique (?) ideas, but that is what it all boils down to. Seriously. Nothing new here.  
  
4. The authoress apologizes in advance for any and all action scenes. They were never her forte, and shall never be. It doesn't really help that there are a bagillion spells to choose from, either. She might even make up a few. Who knows? Sudden inspiration may jump forth and rob her of sanity. Again.  
  
5. Gourry will be the first person to unravel the mysterious schemes surrounding the universe. He will promptly forget to tell everyone else, and store the information deep inside his subconscious mind, thinking that everybody else had already figured it out. He will eventually remember it again...however, it will be TOO LATE (evil, gutteral laughter).  
  
6. Dub language alert! (For the poor, poor newbies. n_n) Also note that I don't have a working spellchecker--please report any typos or misspellings. n_n And no Japanese. (How in tarnation do you spell 'Seyruun', anyhow?)  
  
7. The authoress apologizes for rambling--it's what she does. If you're still there: ENJOY THE FIC! n.n  
  
===============================================================  
  
"Something catastrophic is about to occur," Xellos finally answered after a long moment of silence.  
  
Greater Beast Zelas Metallium peered down from her throne, looking at her priest with a startled gaze, for the cheerful expression that normally adorned his face was wearing thin.  
  
"The Lord of Nightmares has spoken," Xellos continued. "There is no way to prevent this conflict from breaking loose. It is much too late to take the necessary precautions now."  
  
Xellos was an extremely unique monster, Zelas reflected. Due to his...unique creation, not only was he the most powerful lesser-demon, but he had also aquired what could be called a gift of prophecy--he could commune with the Lord of Nightmares herself. Such a useful trait was one of the reasons that had convinced her that he was the only servant that she would ever need.  
  
The downside, of course, was that the Lord of Nightmares did not permit Xellos to tell her all the details--only what she willed him to speak.  
  
Such a powerful servant. Were he anyone but himself, she would question his loyalty. However, Xellos was Xellos, the same monster who had proved him loyalty so completely and thoroughly, and so soon after his very creation, too. He continued to prove his allegeance even now, as each second passed without a move against her.  
  
For, in her current position, Xellos could most easily dispose of his master, yet he chose not to.  
  
As was the custom, Zelas inquired, "Will my health be threatened by this upcoming danger?"  
  
Every other time she had asked this question out of self-preservation, Xellos had most easily answered "No" or "Not any more than anyone else's", but, on this day, Xellos had no other reply than a troubled expression.  
  
"I see," Zelas replied.  
  
"I fear that I will be unable to protect you this time," her priest said in shame.  
  
Zelas graced him with a chuckle. "Don't concern yourself about me, Xellos. You've spent the last thousand years ensuring my safety. I assure you, your service has been very much appreciated. Even if I shall not survive this conflict, you must remember that you have extended my life by a full millenium. I thank you for that."  
  
Xellos stepped forward, knelt, and rested his head on her lap. "I wanted to grant your freedom from this prison," he whispered.  
  
"Even by trying your hardest for another thousand years, you would not have succeeded," Zelas, replied, running her fingers though his hair. "Death may be my only escape..."  
  
They remained that way for well over an hour, whispering unfinished dreams of the future, reveling in the illusion of each other's breathing. They took in all the little details, commiting them to memory, knowing deep in their hearts that this could very well be the last time that they would see each other alive and well. It is in this way that they gave their final farewells.  
  
Finally, Xellos raised his head from her lap and announced, "It is beginning."  
  
"Go, my son," Zelas replied, "and do what must be done."  
  
Xellos pressed his lips against her cheek, then replied, "Good luck, Mother. You will be free at any rate."  
  
When he transported away, Zelas tracked him, finding him to appear among Lina Inverse's group.  
  
She raised her hand to her face to touch the place where Xellos had kissed her. She growled at the sound of metal against metal.  
  
The shackles, which she had managed to disguise as bangles, had been in place for nearly a millenium, sealing her and her influence from the rest of the world.  
  
Surely their enchantment was wearing thin by now, especially since their creator had been killed over a year ago.  
  
Zelas Metallium tranformed into her monster form, howling at the darkening sky outside the window as she called forth all her remaining power, pulling against the enchantment, gnawing against her bonds.  
  
For over a thousand years, Xellos had managed to keep her weakness a secret, eliminating any and all unfortunate souls unlucky enough to discover the information, preventing any conflict from ever reaching Wolf Pack Island, their home. He had spent a thousand years gathering power to set her free.  
  
If she survived long enough to break the chains, his goals would be accomplished.  
  
And, if she managed to survive past that, she would still have a millenium's worth of debts to repay him.  
  
===============================================================  
  
The attack had been unexpected and utterly devastating.  
  
The infamous bandit-killer, Lina Inverse, and her guardian, Gourry Gabriev, currently on a quest to find a much better sword to replace his current one, had once again intercepted the justice-loving Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun and the angst-driven Zelgadiss Greywords, meeting the former on her return to Seyruun after yet another diplomatic mission to a foriegn kingdom, and the latter just in time to prove yet another wild goose chase of a cure wrong.  
  
And, in the midst of reunion, the ambush clearly carried the element of surprise.  
  
Their attacker was female, short, and beautiful, but extremely deadly and dangerous, as they soon found out. The slitted blue eyes were what identified her as something other than a human being.  
  
Obviously a high-ranking monster, the blue-haired young woman sent them all flying with her first attack, and the second was only partially deflected by a hastily cast barrier.  
  
The monster was grinning madly, and, when she wasn't laughing maniacally, she mumbled something beneath her breath, over and over again.  
  
In a great deal of pain, the Slayers slowly stood up. Noticing that their attacker seemed content to merely look at them and giggle, they put together a last second plan.  
  
Knowing that physical attacks were of no use against monsters, Lina explained to Gourry that he would be the diversion. When the monster was least expecting, he would get out of the way and the other three would nail her with a combined astral attack.  
  
However, the plan was foiled before it even began, as the monster recognized Lina as the team leader and decided that it would be wise to take her out first.  
  
The devastating blow hit Lina front and center, sending her flying backwards into the rocky mountainside. The pain was so intense that she found herself unable to even scream as her back was torn apart by the jagged rocks, and she fell to the earth in silent unconsciousness, her blood soaking the dry soil.  
  
The others succumbed to shock for an unmeasurable moment, but then all three were shouting her name in horror. Amelia raced toward Lina's fallen form, and the two swordsmen turned to attack the one responsible.  
  
Scraping her knees when she fell to the ground beside her best friend, Amelia forced herself to ignore the rapidly growing pool of blood and focused her very being on casting Resurrection. Lina was in critical condition--if she didn't hurry, she would die.  
  
Forgetting completely that his sword wouldn't harm the monster in the least bit, Gourry lost himself in the motions of the blade. Each blow was firm and fast, and each strike would have undoubtedly killed any mortal being. However, being a monster, Gourry's quarry was able to dodge the lightning quick strikes and the few that actually managed to connect failed to do much damage.  
  
Zelgadiss, who had been able to calmly assess the situation before attacking blindly, cast a protective Ray Wing spell around himself and Gourry, managing to connect a few Almekia Lances as the monster was unable to dodge both him an Gourry at the same time.  
  
But it didn't take long for Zelgadiss to realize that his astral attacks weren't working. He tried a Ra Tilt--to no avail.  
  
Aknowledging that Lina was probably the only one with a chance at winning against this opponent, Zelgadiss put all his strength into maintaining his Ray Wing.  
  
Quickly boring of playing dodge, the monster turned on the offensive, surprising Zelgadiss with her sheer strength. The Ray Wing collapsed similar to a bubble popping and the two were tossed backwards, landing just ahead of Amelia and Lina, who seemed to be slowly recovering. The impact seemed to knock Gourry back to his senses.  
  
The swordsmen groaned as they rose to their feet, not about to back down just yet. They glared at the approaching monster even as fear seized their hearts. They would protect these two girls even if it meant their own lives--and, seeing as how things were going so far, Zelgadiss thought, it probably would.  
  
Gourry swallowed heavily. "Zelgadiss," he mumbled, "get the girls out of here while I keep her busy."  
  
"Are you crazy, Gourry?!" Zelgadiss hissed back. "Even if I could manage to Ray Wing both the girls to safety without aggravating Lina's injuries or distracting Amelia, you wouldn't be able to hold her off long enough for me to even make it into the air!"  
  
Gourry bit his lip, for the first time, seriously considering if any of them would make it out of this alive.  
  
"I don't have any other ideas, Zelgadiss."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Zelgadiss replied, "I think the only option we have left is to somehow stall until Lina wakes up, and I'm not exactly confident in our ability to do even that." He drew his sword, casting Astral Vine.  
  
They looked at each other with a sort of mutual understanding.  
  
Yes, they were willing to lay down their lives if it meant that the girls behind them would breathe a moment more.  
  
But they didn't get the chance to show their unwavering loyalty and bravery at that point, since another form phased into existance beside them, black, priestly robes and purple hair billowing in the wind, and a familiar closed- eye grin shining in the afternoon sun.  
  
Well, it was definitely not Prince Charming.  
  
"XELLOS?!" Gourry and Zelgadiss exclaimed, recognizing him instantly, and instantly wondering what had happened to his policy of 'appearing when they didn't need him and disappearing when they needed him the most'.  
  
"Why, hello my friends!" Xellos greeted, diirecting a cheesy smile towards them for maximum effect. "You certainly have a bizarre ability to attract Dark Lords, don't you?"  
  
"D-D-D-Dark Lords?" Gourry stuttered. He might be a little dim now and then, but after all the adventures with Lina, he understood beyond a doubt that: Dark Lord - Lina = Certain Doom.  
  
Zelgadiss blinked, but was hardly surprised, considering that he traveled with THIS group.  
  
The Dark Lord standing before them noticed the newcomer, paused, then growled.  
  
Xellos stepped forward, giving his full attention to the angry woman. The grin snapped off his face like a relaxing elastic band and he entered a ready stance. Opening his eyes as if unveiling a threat, he said, "Well, Deep Sea Dolphin, it's been a long time since I've seen your face. Tell me, are the rumors concerning your sanity true? Because, attacking Lina Inverse, especially when she is needed the most, proves it beyond a doubt."  
  
Deep Sea snarled at the priest, releasing her full power to form a dark aura around her body.  
  
Xellos followed suit, shouting, "By the will of the Lord of Nightmares, I swear that this blasphemy will not go unpunished!"  
  
A ball of black energy gathered around the gem on his staff and Xellos continued:  
  
"And, by my own will, I swear that any who dares to harm Lina Inverse will not live to see sunset!"  
  
And with that, the first shots were fired and the battle began, much too fast for the human eye to follow, as Xellos and the Dark Lord teleported back and forth between this world and the astral plane, decimating entire mountains and forests in their wake.  
  
Gourry and Zelgadiss had taken the extra time to drop to their knees and recover some of their lost strength.  
  
"Is it just me," Gourry asked, "or did Xellos get more powerful since we've saw him last?"  
  
Zelgadiss shook his head. "I'd wager that this is actually the first time we've seen him use his full power. Although, it is a little strange that he can keep up with a Dark Lord." He closed his eyes, concentrating on healing himself.  
  
Gourry nodded, and another thought occured to him. "Hey, Zelgadiss?"  
  
Zelgadiss sighed as his concentration broke. "What is it, Gourry?" He winced as another mountain was flattened.  
  
"I know that we didn't really catch everything that Xellos said, since we were both trying to catch our breath, but, since when does he fight in the name of this 'Lord of Nightmares' guy, and why is he so pissed off about Lina getting hurt? I thought he LIKED it when people got hurt!"  
  
If Zelgadiss had been drinking a beverage, he would have choked on it. "You're right, Gourry!" he exclaimed.  
  
But Gourry wasn't listening, because he had rushed over to Lina's side after accidently reminding himself that she was hurt.  
  
Zelgadiss sweatdropped, then sighed and made his way over there as well, also concerned about Lina's condition.  
  
What he found was a nearly unconscious Amelia, due to all the energy she'd spent trying to save her best friend. Helping her into a sitting position, Zelgadiss asked, "How is she?"  
  
"Mr. Zelgadiss...?" she murmered, half hearing the question. If it wasn't for his hands on her shoulders, she would have fallen over. "I saw her chest move... Did I do alright, Mr. Zelgadiss...?"  
  
He looked over at Gourry, who was checking for a pulse. When the blonde swordsman sighed in relief, Zelgadiss turned back to her and said, "You did just fine, Amelia." A small smile crept across his face as she fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Zelgadiss gently laid her down on the ground and, almost as an afterthought, tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Another forest caught fire behind them.  
  
Satisfied with Lina's health, Gourry took hold of the petite girl's shoulders and gently shook her awake as he murmered beneath his breath, "Come on, Lina. Wake up. I need you to wake up so you can tell me what I should do!" The Lord of Nightmares knew that Gourry had no idea what to do now. Lina would be able to help him, wouldn't she?  
  
Lina groaned, then opened her eyes to see Gourry's face hovering just a tad too close for comfort. She blushed a brilliant red akin to her hair and eyes, and roughly pushed him away.  
  
Landing tush-first in the dirt, Gourry didn't hesitate a moment before blurting out, "Lina, the Dark Lord hurt you but Amelia saved you and now she's sleeping but when me and Zel attacked the Dark Lord we didn't hurt her at all and then Xellos came shouting something about 'black is perty' and saved us and he's fighting her right now but the last time Xellos fought a dark lord he got beat up bad and I think he might need some help! Whatarewegoingtodo?!"  
  
If Lina didn't have a headache before, she definitely did now. Trying her best to concentrate on his words, she rubbed her forehead and asked for clarification. "So, that monster is a Dark Lord and Xellos is fighting her?" A mountain behind her was reduced to rubble  
  
"Yes," Zelgadiss said, before Gourry could confuse her even more. "But the strange thing is, when Xellos attacked Deep Sea Dolphin, he claimed to be carrying out the wishes of the Lord of Nightmares!"  
  
Lina's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "WHAAAAAT?"  
  
"And he go really mad at the Dolphin Lady for hurting you," Gourry added. "He said that you were needed--whatever that means."  
  
Head reeling with all the new info, Lina fought to make sense of it all. "So," she finally said, "you're saying that, if what Xellos said is true, that the Lord of Nightmares needs me for something and Deep Sea Dolphin's attack on us went against her plans, so she sent Xellos here to dispose of her?"  
  
Gourry just stared, blankly, unable to absorb any new data at this point, but Zelgadiss replied, "It seems so."  
  
Lina pressed her hands to her temples, groaned, and muttered, "Oh, Lord of Nightmares! Why can't you choose someone else to do the dirty work once in a while! Can't I have a few days off?!"  
  
===============================================================  
  
Meanwhile, Xellos and Deep Sea had only managed to inflict minor wounds, despite the untold amount of landscape damage.  
  
Funny, Xellos thought. I really shouldn't be fairing so well against a Dark Lord. Is the Lord of Nightmares sapping her strength? That would make sense, I suppose... Or, perhaps she is granting me more power?  
  
The two monsters stopped in middar to comply an unspoken, yet understood, mutual desire for a moment's rest.  
  
"Why don't you give up, Deep Sea?" Xellos offered. "If you simply halt your attack on the Lord of Nightmares' chosen, I'm sure that she would be willing to reconsider my orders to take your life."  
  
Deep Sea's only response was a low growl. A blue, flashing ball of energy appeared in her hand and grew to the size of a watermelon. She cackled madly before muttering something beneath her breath and attacked.  
  
Xellos called up a shield that would hopefully nullify the spell. He readied his counter attack, but the black energy dissolved back into his body as Dolphin's attack flew straight past him.  
  
And Xellos turned his head to see Dolphin's true target.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Gourry, who was supposedly, out of the entire group, the most in tune with his animalistic instincts, was the first to notice the blue, glowing orb shooting straight at them.  
  
While known for not being the brightest man on Earth; quick to forget what he deemed useless information--which was why he struggled so with the more complex of situations--, Gourry Gabriev was far from stupid. In fact, he could be dubbed the very genious of swordsmanship. Every stance was etched into memory; every teaching ever taught about swords was constantly within reach of his inquiring mind, as a potential hazard could--and very well, would--make itself known before his small, simple lifestyle.  
  
Within moments he was standing, sword drawn, protectively over the still not completely recovered Lina Inverse.  
  
Also an unrealized (even by himself) master of applied physics, Gourry knew, beyond a doubt, that, even with the shield that Zelgadiss would cast in a few moments, any sword, save, perhaps, the sword of light he no longer had, would be able to stand a chance against that ball of energy. The sword he held now might as well be a sword of air, because it would surely mimic the colorless, odorless gas as the blast cut through it. But there was no time to run.  
  
And, yet, still he'd reached for that sword at the first thought of danger, as it was a thing of security, but now, a thing of futility. As long as Lina was unable to protect herself, his very existance in the path of her destruction would prevent that destruction a moment more, even though his body would momentarily follow suit with his sword of air.  
  
Zelgadiss, who held the instinct of a warrior, as opposed to the slightly more valuable animal instinct, recognized attack a fraction of a second after Gourry. However, instead of drawing his sword by reflex, by reflex he analyzed the attack, and, finding it to be magic, cast his own spell to block--though, realizing a moment later that it would be in vain, as all his previous barriers had collapsed as if they hadn't been there in the first place.  
  
However, the mere thought of the unconscious girl behind him, who had called upon everything she held within to save her friend, rooted his feet in place and caused him to extend the shield around the other two figures, reinforcing it, as Amelia had inspired, with the very light of his soul, closing his eyes so nothing visual could break his concentration.  
  
And then it struck.  
  
To his credit, the shield held for a full second before the spell plowed through.  
  
A second, that, if had not been provided, would have cost four lives, as well as the fifth that suddenly appeared in the attack's tragectory.  
  
But that second HAD been provided, and, in that second, Xellos managed to teleport into the path of that spell, and put up his own barrier, saving all of their lives.  
  
Gourry stared, frozen, at the sword he held--everything within an inch of his fingers had disintegrated; only the hilt remained.  
  
And, Xellos, even with his full power, could barely maintain the barrier against the assault.  
  
Grunting with exertion, he had to force the words from his mouth.  
  
"Gourry--Zelgadiss...! Get--the girls--a safe--distance--away...! Zelgadiss...! Finish healing--Lina...!!!"  
  
Too deep in shock to do otherwise, the two swordsmen did as they were told, and nearly too late, because immediately after they moved, Dolphin attacked again and Xellos was pushed back by the sheer force of it, even as his barrier held. A low growl rose in his throat as he dug his feet into the ground and leaned forward, successfully slowing to a stop.  
  
As Zelgadiss rose holding the unconscious Amelia in his arms, Gourry carefully picked up Lina, and, noticing her lips moving in a chant, pressed her face against his chest to keep her from speaking.  
  
"You don't have the strength for that right now, Lina!" he exclaimed as he joined Zelgadiss on the sprint to safety. And, yet, still she struggled in his arms, screaming against his armour. Probably calling him a jellyfish- brain again, he supposed.  
  
Choosing an area behind a group of boulders, they wasted absolutely no time in following Xellos' orders. As Zelgadiss healed Lina, grunting in pain as the white magic tore at his very mind, Gourry kept an eye on the battle, wondering why Xellos chose to expend so much energy on the barrier, then, almost immediately after, realized that the Dolphin Lady's attack looked almost as powerful as a Dragon Slave, and would probably destroy everything within a mile or so, including them, and Xellos was trying to protect them from any danger.  
  
Suddenly, Gourry heard a spell being cast and Zelgadiss shouting out in surprise before he was bowled over when a unidentified force pushed him aside.  
  
Standing up and turning around, Gourry saw an unconscious and slightly charred Zelgadiss laying on the ground near an equally unconscious Amelia.  
  
He turned back to the battle and ran after the newly recovered Lina Inverse, muttering something underneath his breath about suicidal carzy girls with no common sense and what on Earth had possessed him to become her guardian in the first place.  
  
Upon arriving at the site of battle, Lina cast a few fireballs at Deep Sea to take her attention away from Xellos. Succeeding, she followed up with a volley of Almekia Lances and the occassional Ra Tilt.  
  
Xellos, seeing that he wasn't needed at the moment, dropped his barrier, managing to stand for a moment more before collapsing.  
  
Gourry, who managed to catch him before he hit the ground, gently laid him down and was immediately startled by the following two things:  
  
1. Xellos' eyes were slightly open as opposed to his usual closed-eye grin. And, not only that, but they didn't seem to focus on anything in particular, and,  
  
2. There was a dagger buried in his abdomen, and it seemed to be...eating the black stuff.  
  
Hand flying to remove the blade, Gourry was surprised when Xellos' hand rose and stopped him.  
  
"...No...Gourry..." he mumbled. "...If you...do that...I'll...I'll die...for sure..."  
  
Dolphin, already worn out from fighting Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, finally made a mistake. She underestimated the power of Lina Inverse, especially when she was pissed off.  
  
Purposefully leading the fight away from the others, Lina checked the distance from Gourry and Xellos before casting an amplified Dragon Slave, and immediately after, another Ra Tilt. The combination seriously drained the Dark Lord's strength and she collapsed to the ground with a gasp.  
  
Lina was about to deliver the finishing blow, but then she heard a cry so fearful, so helpless, that it immediately sent her running.  
  
"LINA! XELLOS IS HURT REALLY BAD!"  
  
To Lina, it seemed like hours before she finally fell to her knees beside Xellos.  
  
His head turned slightly in her direction and Xellos smiled an ironic little smile as a thin line of condensed monster essense drained from his mouth, mimicking the blood of mortals.  
  
"...She...did this when...I turned my head...to see...why see...missed me..."  
  
"A holy dagger," Lina gasped, recognizing the hilt from one of her sister's books.  
  
"...Yes..." he replied, and, for a moment, Xellos managed to meet her gaze as an understandment passed between them.  
  
Lina turned her head to see the injured, weakened Deep Sea Dolphin slowly rise to her feet.  
  
"...The...Lord of...Nightmares' been...sapping her...strength...Lina...that's why...you've been able...to beat her...so far...I think...a Ragna Blade...would certainly...be fitting..."  
  
And, with that, Xellos' eyes drifted closed and his head fell limp to the side.  
  
"XELLOS?" Gourry exclaimed. "XELLOS?!"  
  
Lina placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's alive--he'll be alive for as long as his body remains here. We won't be able to do anything if he weakens so much that he returns to the astral plane. He's alive, for now, but he doesn't have much time. But only someone able to cast holy spells will be able to save him now."  
  
Relieved, Gourry released a great sigh...only to choke on it when he realized that Lina was racing toward the Dolphin Lady again, Ragna Blade in hand.  
  
Funny--he hadn't heard her chant the spell...  
  
Dolphin made no move as the screaming Lina Inverse charged against her, but when the power of the Lord of Nightmares pierced her body, she collapsed against Lina's petite form and simply whispered the words that she'd been chanting for nearly a day straight:  
  
"The end of the world is coming."  
  
And then the world ended for Deep Sea.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
1. It wasn't until I typed this out that I realized how similar it was to the prologue of "The Lovely Loveless Marriage". That's really weird-- almost like I wrote a parody of this fic even before I started writing this fic (which is exactly what happened, I suppose...)  
  
2. It's also strange that my fics always seem to begin with Xellos (and 2/3s of the time, Xellos talking to Zelas). I just realized that. o.O I wonder why that is? n_n  
  
3. I'd have to say that my favorite part of this fic is the character analysis' going on. While this one focused on Zelas, Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, the next chapter will explore Lina, Amelia, Filia (who WILL show up! n_~), and a surprise character at the end!  
  
4. Just to remind everyone: the pairings are X/F, L/G, and A/Z. While it may SEEM that Lina and Xellos have something going on, here (cough), I can assure you, the most definitely do NOT. (I don't want you guys to embarrass yourselves. n_~)  
  
5. Oh, and about the titles. As you can see, they're humorous while the rest of the fic is mainly not very funny at all. I only called it Slayers: FOAM because my sister commented that it sounded like a soap opera. You guys can try to form 'FOAM' into an acrostic if you want--in fact, maybe I'll turn it into a contest. n_n  
  
  
  
UPDATE: Darn it all! I typed in 'hold dagger' instead of '_holy_ dagger'!!! #$^@%@&!!! Sorry for the confusion.... 


	2. Once Upon a (Tea) Time

Slayers: FOAM  
  
by  
  
Nin Tendo  
  
Chapter 2 ~ Once Upon a (Tea) Time  
  
~Disclaimer~ Once upon a time, Nin Tendo owned Slayers. And the world exploded because the dimension in which it resided was extremely unstable. And the little bits of matter lived happily ever after. Until the dimension itself collapsed, of course. n_n  
  
  
  
NOTE: Come on, everyone! You can't let Dee Jay win the credit by default! I mean, all she could come up with was Fic Of Absolute Monstrosity!!! What do YOU think F.O.A.M. should stand for? Maybe I'll even change the title if I enjoy your ideas too much! lol  
  
  
  
MORE IMPORTANT NOTE: I accidently typed 'hold dagger' instead of 'holy dagger' in the first chapter. Thank you for noticing something strange, Digi_riven!  
  
  
  
A NOTE ON AMELIA: I thought I had her all figured out, but once I had to write something about her, I came up with a huge blank! I mean, I love her and everything, but now I can see why some people resort to a stereotype! It's so much easier that way! However, I'll try to stick it out until next chapter--maybe I'll understand her better by then (does anyone know any really great Amelia fanpages?). For now, though, forgive me for making her stay unconscious! (Well, she is awake for a little while in this chap...)  
  
  
  
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Filia Ul Copt stared up at the ceiling from her bed, finding herself unable to gather the will to close her eyes and sleep. Terror ate at her nerves, and fear-sweat mixed with salty tears as they streaked across the surface of her face.  
  
It had started just a few days ago, she reflected.  
  
Bit by bit, she was losing her power.  
  
She'd first noticed it when she began to find it increasingly difficult to change forms. At nights she would always fly before bed--the serene feeling put her at ease and the wispy sound of wind against her body was almost a lullaby.  
  
Today she hadn't been able to transform at all. She was trapped in her human form.  
  
And it wasn't only transforming that worried her. No, it was also her diminishing magic. That afternoon, a crazed monster had attacked the village. It was even a low-level monster, and yet, she'd had the greatest difficulty in destroying it. Her spells weren't as...powerful as before...  
  
What was happening? What was she going to do?  
  
Her magic was weakening. Magic sustained her life. If her magic continued to decrease, she was going to....  
  
She was going to die, wasn't she?  
  
With a muffled cry, Filia turned onto her side, drew her knees to her chest, and closed her eyes in a vain attempt to sleep.  
  
===============================================================  
  
It wasn't the fresh, bird-chirping dawn of fairy-tales that greeted the travel-worn adventurers this morn. No, today even the sun appeared to droop low in the sky in mourning.  
  
Initially, they'd taken the much faster route of flight, but now they had no other choice but to travel by land. Transporting four people (not to mention herself) by Raywing was a serious drain on Lina's magic, and she felt that she should conserve at least a fraction of her strength just in case they were attacked along the way.  
  
Zelgadis and Amelia had woken, but they were pretty exhaughsted, not to mention a tad confused by recent events.  
  
Now that he had plenty of time to ponder, Zelgadis had to concentrate hard to force his hazy brain to rationalize Xellos' actions. Had he simply been lying about the Lord of Nightmares? He certainly wasn't above that--but then why had he saved their lives, endangering his own. It was completely out of character...wasn't it? Well, whatever the truth was, he was most definitely up to something yet again, and, yet again, it involved them.  
  
But the million gold piece question was: Will Xellos survive long enough for the truth to be revealed?  
  
Right beside the chimera walked Amelia. While she was just as exhaughsted as Zelgadis, it was much more evident. Unlike Zelgadiss, though, her initial confusion had been resolved completely.  
  
Mr. Xellos had finally turned from his evil monsterous nature in order to fight beside justice in the war between good and evil! Although, it was so bitterly ironic that he should fall in battle so soon after his redemption, as justice must always prevail, there is no doubt that we will be able to save him in time!  
  
Well, that is what Amelia would have said, but the weariness had overcome her and all she could manage was an overly contagious yawn.  
  
Holding his hand in front of his mouth to hide his own yawn, Gourry, who walked a half-pace behind Amelia and Zelgadis, kept his eyes focused on the solitary girl leading them.  
  
Or, perhaps not so solitary, considering the injured man she carried.  
  
With a startled cry, Amelia's foot sunk into an unnoticed pothole, sending her crashing into Zelgadis. They would have both fell if it hadn't been for Gourry's quick reflexes.  
  
Biting his lip, Gourry turned back to the girl ahead of them, continuing on despite the trouble behind her.  
  
"Hey, Lina, don't you think we should have a quick rest? I mean, we've already travelled straight through the night."  
  
She stopped, but didn't turn. Her monotone voice sent chills down Gourry's spine.  
  
"No, Gourry. He's fading fast. We have to keep going. Otherwise, we'll never make it in time. We're almost there, anyway."  
  
With a slight hum of concern, Gourry nodded to her back and helped his two tired companions to their feet.  
  
They continued on, and Gourry's eyes once again settled upon Lina in worry. Breaking the silence once more, he said, "Maybe I should carry him, Lina-- he looks heavy and you said that you needed to save your strength."  
  
Lina's arms tightened around the fallen priest, and she replied, "No, he's...light. Lighter than yesterday."  
  
Gourry wrung his hands, then hugged himself, a feeling of helplessness overcoming him. A friend was in trouble and he could do nothing--Lina just wouldn't let him do anything to help. She...she wasn't telling him what to do anymore...  
  
Amelia turned to see the suffering look on Gourry's face, realizing in a moment of clarity that he felt insecure without any orders to fulfill in this type of situation.  
  
"Mr. Gourry," she murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes, "my feet are so tired and I can barely keep my eyes open. Would you mind if I asked you to carry me?"  
  
Within moments, Amelia was off the ground and resting in Gourry's arms. He smiled down at her with an almost sibling affection and she replied in kind before closing her eyes to get some much needed rest.  
  
Zelgadiss was initially surprised by this, but soon after a paranoid frown of jealousy broke free when he witnessed the mutual smiles.  
  
"Uh..." said Gourry, when he saw the jealous expression on his friend's face. "I'm sorry, Zel, but I don't think I'll be able to carry BOTH of you!"  
  
Zelgadis barely managed to keep himself from falling flat on his face. He really should have known--Gourry was a much too simple man to even consider having a romantic relationship with someone other than Lina (even though he didn't know it himself).  
  
Or, perhaps he was just smart enough to realize what Lina would do to him if he ever even thought about 'dumping' her for another (even though she would most likely think up some excuse to mask her half-realized feelings for him).  
  
Zelgadiss sighed and rubbed his forehead. He could ponder the degree of Gourry's intelligence some other time.  
  
Looking ahead at the red-headed sorceress, Zelgadis wondered why Lina was reacting this way over Xellos' condition. Sure, the monster had saved their lives yesterday (or was it the day before? He couldn't remember...), but how could she forget all the lies, deception, and betrayl? He had manipulated them every step of the way.  
  
And Lina knew that, and yet, now she accepted him.  
  
When had friendship blossomed?  
  
And, as Zelgadis' eyes lowered, focusing on the face of a dying man hanging limply in the arms of Lina Inverse, thoughts of forgiveness, apologies, and a more important question flooded his slowly healing heart.  
  
When had Xellos become HIS friend?  
  
And Xellos lay limp in Lina's arms, so pale he was nearly transparent and even his hair seemed to have withered into a dull gray, as the holy dagger continued to consume all that he was.  
  
===============================================================  
  
A slightly disturbed Jillas climbed up the stairs and knocked on Filia's bedroom door. In all the time that they'd lived together, she had never before slept so late.  
  
"Sis?" he called out when she didn't reply. "Oi! SIS!" he cried, starting to worry.  
  
After failing to respond once more, Jillas began to reach for the doornob, but the door chose that moment to swing open, revealing a dishelved and weary Filia. She looked as if she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night.  
  
"Ah," Jillas said, awkwardly, "boss Gravos has breakfast o' th' table an' you're always in th' kitchen b' now. I come'd up ta see if'n somethin' wrong."  
  
Filia nodded with a huge yawn and stepped past him, wearily pulling herself down the flight of stairs.  
  
Jillas could only follow as he stared at her slouched back, wondering what in heaven's name was wrong with her.  
  
Perhaps she's caught a bug, the fox-man pondered. O' maybe she's been workin' much too hard. I should tell th' boss 'bout this.  
  
And tell the boss he did, right after watching his surrogate sister pick at her food after only eating a portion of the meal.  
  
But Gravos had already noticed the problem--long before Jillas had, in fact. He'd tried to ignore it, but when Jillas had approached him after breakfast, he had no other choice but to tell Filia to get some rest. After all, if a blockhead like Jillas noticed that their was someything wrong, then the problem was very critical indeed.  
  
"But what about the shop?" Filia protested. "And the egg? And the shopping?"  
  
Gravos gently picked up the small egg from the basket on the counter and gently placed it in Filia's arms.  
  
"Well," he replied, "since Lord Valgaav hasn't quite hatched yet, I'm sure that you'll be able to watch over him with no problems--you just have to keep him warm."  
  
"Th' boss an' I c'n do th' shoppin'!" Jillas jumped in.  
  
"But what about the shop?" Filia said again.  
  
"'Tis Sunday, Sis!" Jillas exclaimed, staring at her strangely.  
  
"Oh," said a bewildered Filia as the two beastmen hauled her up the stairs and tucked her in.  
  
Gravos left the room and returned a moment later with a tray full of the breakfast leftovers. "Now, Miss Filia, you will get some sleep. When you wake up, I want you to eat something, alright?"  
  
"I'll try," Filia replied, "but...I'm just not...hungry at all..."  
  
She produced a large yawk and was asleep before Jillas and Gravos even left the room.  
  
She'll be fine in a few hours, Gravos decided.  
  
===============================================================  
  
At the first sight of the town before them, Lina had tossed aside her decision to conserve energy and began to sprint toward her goal.  
  
"Lina!" Gourry and Zelgadis exclaimed, then sighed, speeding up their pace. Not by much, though, considering that Zelgadis still wasn't as alert as he'd like to be and Gourry didn't want to jar awake the dozing Amelia.  
  
However, despite Lina's head start, they both managed to find her kicking the door to a shop furiously, still holding onto Xellos' body, and getting strange looks from passer-by.  
  
"'Vases and Maces'?" Gourry asked, reading the sign. "Where have I heard that before?"  
  
"It's Filia's shop, Gourry," Zelgadis clarified. "I wasn't sure where we were headed, but I did have my suspicions. The question we should ask, however, is: Will Filia WANT to save Xellos?"  
  
Hearing the conversation behind her, Lina growled, "She was the closest user of holy magic that I knew of, alright?!"  
  
"Oh, come on!" Gourry chuckled. "Filia wouldn't let Xellos die like this! She IS a human being, after all!"  
  
Zelgadis sweatdropped. "No she isn't, Gourry."  
  
"Oh, yeeeaaah..." Gourry replied, remembering. Then he shrugged. "But she still helped him out when he was in trouble, didn't she? I think that, deep down there somewhere, she must care about him at least a little bit!"  
  
Zelgadis frowned when the comment hit just a little too close to home. He didn't want to care, but, nevertheless, felt something clench beyond his stone exterior when he looked upon the monster in such horrible condition.  
  
Meanwhile, Lina was getting pretty mad at having to knock the door with her foot, so she started screaming at the top of her lungs. "DAMN IT, FILIA! WAKE UP YOU STUPID DRAGON! GET DOWN HERE BEFORE I DRAGON SLAVE THE ENTIRE FREAKING TOWN!"  
  
"I'm coming," replied a weary yet completely annoyed voice from inside the store. Lina bit her tongue to keep from shouting even more as it took much too long (in her opinion, anyway) for Filia to unlock and open the door.  
  
Lina immediately pushed her way inside, wincing when she accidently slammed Xellos' face into the doorframe in her haste. Gourry followed, being much more careful with his cargo, and Zelgadis took up the rear, wanting nothing more than a little rest.  
  
"What are all of you doing here?" Filia questioned, apprehensive, holding the egg a little closer to her chest. "What is going on? What's happened to you all?"  
  
She recognized Lina's voice and she knew that Gourry would probably be with her, but she was surprised to see Amelia and Zelgadis, too. And who was that person Lina was holding?  
  
After leaning in for a closer look, Filia screeched, "XELLOS?! OH, CEIPIED, I CAN'T SENSE HIM ANYMORE! NOW HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM FROM KILLING ME AND TAKING VAL AWAY?!" Wailing, she cried, "THAT DIRTY SCUMBAG!"  
  
Shifting Xellos in her arms, Lina smartly slapped the overreacting, paranoia driven, sleep-deprived dragon across the face, causing her to drop Val's egg. Gourry managed to catch the egg, but not before dropping Amelia into Zelgadis' unready arms.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Gourry," Zelgadis grumbled from the floor, beneath Amelia, who somehow managed to stay unconcious throughout the entire situation thus far.  
  
"Filia," Lina growled, keeping her voice low and threatening, "Xellos got stabbed by a holy dagger and now his life force is slowly and painfully being torn from his body. He allowed this to happen in order to save us. If you don't help him because of your own personal feelings, then Xellos was right about you all along. You really are selfish."  
  
Startled, Filia could only stare at the young woman before her carrying a monster in the fading guise of a man.  
  
Finally, she whispered, "I...I don't know if I can do this..."  
  
Lina took a deep, shaky breath and turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Filia exclaimed. "Wait, Lina! That wasn't what I meant!"  
  
Pausing, Lina asked, "Well, what did you mean, then?"  
  
Filia swallowed against her dry throat. "I'm...not sure if I'll have the...strength to save him..."  
  
Lina walked back up to her, carefully placing the priest in Filia's hesitantly extended arms. "All I ask," she whispered, "is that you try."  
  
Filia simply nodded in reply, then turned to the others. "Gourry, can you please give Val to Lina for a moment and pick up Amelia again? Zelgadis, will you be able to make it up the stairs?"  
  
Gourry, who had been carefully searching the egg for any cracks, looked up when his name was mentioned and readily complied.  
  
Slowly getting to his feet, Zelgadis groaned and said, "I guess so."  
  
Leading them up the stairway, Filia said, "I can't have any distractions, so you four will have to wait in the other rooms. You all look like you need some rest, anyway. But there are only two other beds, so two of you will have to take the floor."  
  
"We'll let the girls have the beds," Gourry announced. Zelgadis nodded in agreement.  
  
Stopping at the first door, Filia informed them all that it was Jillas' room. "The next door leads to the bathroom, and the one after is Gravos' room. My room is at the end of the hall if you need me, though please don't interrupt me for a few hours at least. I don't know how long this is going to take."  
  
Gourry walked into Jillas' room and gently lay Amelia on the bed. Turning back to the door, he asked, "Hey, Zel, did you want to stay here instead of me?"  
  
Stepping inside, Zelgadis replied, "Sure, Gourry." Then he smirked a little, looking at Lina. "Have fun, you two."  
  
A quick-as-lightening Gourry prevented Lina from beating her own fists into a pulp while attempting to damage the chimera.  
  
Exhaughsted chuckles could be heard as the door swung shut.  
  
Lina removed Gourry's hands from her shoulders and gave up on vengence, staring at the wall as Filia led them to Gravos' room. She would have rathered keeping Xellos within her sight, but she understood and respected Filia's need for concentration so she tried to surpress her concern.  
  
It wasn't like she would be leaving him in immediate danger.  
  
In truth, Lina really had no idea why she was being so...protective of Xellos. Sure, she might consider him a friend (sometimes), but didn't his vices outnumber his virtues a hundred-fold? Why was she trying to save his life when all he ever did was endanger her's?  
  
Thinking about it rationally, the smarter thing to do would have been to simply leave him to die.  
  
But...that look in his eyes before consciousness was lost...she'd seen something in them... something that promised more than 'the trickster priest'. Something that...that...  
  
...Something that told her that he genuinelly cared for her...  
  
...And an untold ocean of apology...  
  
Now, she wanted nothing more than to look him straight in the eye and say, "I forgive you, Xellos."  
  
Lina followed Gourry into Gravos' room, frowning at the bed. It wasn't like she would be able to catch any sleep, anyway.  
  
"Gourry, you might as well take the bed."  
  
"Uh?" Gourry replied from the corner, where he was removing his armor. "What are you talking about, Lina? You're the one always going on about your beauty sleep."  
  
Lina turned her head to give Gourry more privacy. "I'm just not tired at all."  
  
Gourry chuckled. "Oh, come on, Lina! You have those big black baggy things under your eyes, I saw you stumble a few times on the road, and I'm not even going to TRY to count how many times you're yawned!"  
  
"You have bags under your eyes, too, Gourry!" Lina retorted, finding her pride actually teaming up with her nearly non-existant generousity.  
  
She heard Gourry yawn. "I sleep better on the floor, anyway. Just take the bed, Lina. I'm trying to sleep."  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Lina screamed, whirling around, forgetting for a moment that Gourry might still be changing.  
  
But Gourry had long finished undressing and, in fact, was already asleep on the floor in his pajamas, the blankets only half covering him.  
  
Lina heaved a great sigh, moving to pull the disshelved blankets over her protector for more efficiency, but then remembered that her hands were already full and sat on the bed.  
  
Looking at the dragon egg, Lina whispered, "So, Valgaav, when you hatch will you try to kill me again? LoN knows that everyone else wants my head. Will you, too?"  
  
The unannounced opening of the door startled Lina.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Filia whispered, noting that Gourry was asleep. "I just thought I should take Val off your hands so you can get some rest."  
  
She stepped forward and reached for the egg, but Lina held it back for a moment.  
  
"How is he?" she asked, intensely, wondering if she should Dragon Slave her for leaving him all by himself.  
  
"Well," replied Filia, "the easy part is done--I managed to temporarily seal the dagger's power, so it won't be able to spread any further for a while. The hard part--well, is removing the dagger itself."  
  
Finding the answer acceptable--for the moment, at least--, Lina handed the egg back to its adoptive mother. "You better get started, then."  
  
Filia hesitated. "But..."  
  
"'But'?" Lina repeated.  
  
Filia swallowed and looked at the floor. "I don't know if I'll be strong enough to do this."  
  
"Didn't we go over this already?" Lina asked. "I told you that all you have to do is TRY."  
  
"I'll...I'll try Miss Lina," Filia replied, lifting her head. "Meanwhile, you should try to get some sleep."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Sleep."  
  
"But..." Lina said again, but the spell soon overcame her and she slipped into unconsciousness, falling backwards onto the bed.  
  
Filia gently rested Val's egg on the desk and proceeded to tuck the two humans in.  
  
"Sweet dreams," she whispered, retrieving Val and exiting the room.  
  
===============================================================  
  
The sight that greeted Filia in her room was an unexpected one.  
  
On her bed, Xellos was already showing signs of recovery. He seemed slightly less transparent, color beginning to return to his form, his limbs moved every so often, and he seemed to be...sweating--purging the contaminated essense from his body. She hadn't known that monsters could do that.  
  
The dagger's power must have done something to hinder the immune response, Filia rationalized, placing Val in his basket with care.  
  
Moving closer to the monster, Filia noticed that his lips were moving, forming words, but not uttering a sound. She attempted to read his lips, but found it impossible, as he seemed to be using a different dialect then the ones she was familiar with.  
  
Wiping away some of the dark liquid with an already soiled sheet, Filia wondered why she had decided to help him, the monster who had singlehandedly destroyed much of her race. The one who taunted her relentlessly. The one who, she suspected, had something to do with her present state.  
  
You always called me selfish, Xellos, Filia thought, silently. If you were correct before, surely I've changed now, or I wouldn't be trying to save your life right now.  
  
Her hands moved forth to grasp the hilt of the holy blade, surprised when Xellos responded with a muffled shout. Shaking away her uncertainty, Filia closed her eyes and concentrated deeply. Slowly, she felt her awareness become one with the dagger, and she was able to sense how far the magic had spread. Without a second thought, she removed the seal and set to work.  
  
Frowning at the damage, but brightened by Xellos' strengthened defense pushing back the invading magic, Filia put all her concentration into severing the fused strands of energy, willing the holiness back into the blade, and preventing the dagger from unleashing more of its power. It was a slow, tiring process, and small mistakes sprouted everywhere--she would cut the ties in the wrong place, leaving some holy energy behind, and some strands were overlooked altogether.  
  
Starting to feel exhaustion take its toll, Filia began to panic and her work became that much more sloppier. If she didn't finish this, she wouldn't be able to remove the dagger without wounding him further. If she fainted before completing the process, the dagger would be able to regenerate its severed tendrils of energy in no time at all. And, if she stopped now to try again later, her strength might even be less than it was now.  
  
Feeling her mind begin to slow with weariness, Filia finally submitted to fear, and she tore the dagger from his chest in a single panicked pull, tossing it to the floor.  
  
Vaguely, she heard Xellos cry out in pain before her awareness retreated into darkness, leaving her body to collapse onto the bed, her head resting on the monster's midsection, arms draped over his body.  
  
The unconscious dragon girl whimpered at the beginnings of a nightmare.  
  
The ill monster priest felt distress nearby and desperately shifted closer to the source in order to digest it better, only to succeed in offering comfort instead.  
  
In Filia Ul Copt's room that morning, a dragon and monster held hands for the first time in over one thousand years.  
  
===============================================================  
  
A short distance away from the town, air rippled and a woman fell through the opening, landing on the ground hard.  
  
She folded into the fetal position, gasping in exertion. Soon, the agony lessened and she managed to sit up.  
  
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the jewelery decorating her arms and legs.  
  
I thought these would disappear completely, she pondered. I guess he must have crafted these ones to seal my power, since I seem to have broken the ones keeping me on Wolf Pack Island.  
  
Shrugging, she stood, and, picking up the weakened presence of her priest, began her journey toward him.  
  
Let it be known that Zelas Metallium never breaks a promise, she thought, triumphantly.  
  
===============================================================  
  
In another place, a young woman wept silently at the fiery remains of what was once her home.  
  
Wiping her eyes and turning from the sight, she pondered the prophecy she'd dreamed a few days previous, and the unpredicted monster movement against the town.  
  
So, it's already begun, she thought. The end of everything as we know it. The realization of our creator's true intentions and the materialization of her wishes. They attack because they've finally noticed their power fading and in desperation and fear, they attempt to destroy what is weakening them so.  
  
She took a deep breath and began the trek from her past, to her future, whatever that may be.  
  
It was time that her little sister received an explaination.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
1. Sorry this took so long to be posted. A lot of stuff has been going on up here in Alberta--namely, the education dispute. Actually, I had this written up for quite a while, but I've been working really hard on my entry for this year's story contest (the things I do for $30 -_-() ). I finally got it ready for it's final revision, so I decided to take a break from all the heavy symbolism and finally type this up. n_n I hope you all enjoyed it. (For reference, if you'd like to read my contest entry, it will probably be up on Monday, and it's title is "Amara and Calla: Eternal Scream")  
  
2. I'd just like to remind everyone that Xellos is going to be paired up with Filia, not Lina or Zel--they're just big buckets of angst right now! :p (I'm only trying to enforce this because my sister started commenting that the way I wrote the emotions pointed towards these alternate pairings. Eh...whateva--if it weirds you out a lot, just remember that I'm also a fan of non-romantic love!)  
  
3. I'd like to apologize again for Amelia--I REALLY need some inspiration for her character! Do you guys know of any really great Amelia-centric fics that may be able to help me? (puppy-dog eyes) I promise that she'll wake up and STAY awake for the entire 3rd chapter! n_n  
  
4. Gee, I wonder who that mystery character is...eh heh hehhhh... (geez, I knew I should've made it harder to figure out! Oh, well...n.n) 


	3. The Enigmatic Prophecy Strikes Back!

Slayers: FOAM  
  
by  
  
Nin Tendo  
  
Chapter 3 ~ The Enigmatic Prophecy Strikes Back!  
  
~ Disclaimer ~ You all know what happens when I own something--I neglect it. n_n Thank everything holy that I do not own Slayers!  
  
Wow, I got so many great FOAM reviews! n_n Thank you, guys! Keep them coming! (You don't know just how close you're coming to describing what I have planned. O.o) Maybe when the story is finished, I'll rename the chapters with your acrostics! n_n  
  
Thank you for the web pages, Lauren-sama! I think I'll be a little more confident now with Amelia's character. n_n  
  
Oops, I forgot to mention it last chapter, but Filia Metallium disagreed with the way I portrayed Deep Sea Dolphin. If it makes you feel better, Filia, I didn't mean to imply that Dolphin was always insane--it's just that something happened to her a few days before her attack on Lina. I'm sorry that I killed her off so early, but it was either her or Dynast, and I have plans for Dynast! n_n  
  
Geez, this was supposed to be posted LAST WEEK! Sorry for the misinformation, Riven. -_- But it's not MY fault that my computer went haywire... n_n  
  
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Zelgadis chuckled as the door swung shut, leaving him alone in Jillas' room with Amelia. Lina and Gourry were much too predictable. Teasing them about their 'relationship' was so easy that it almost wasn't fun anymore (but, then again, everything was hilarious when you were as tired as he was now).  
  
Laughter dissolving into a yawn, Zelgadis remembered just how exhausted he was and walked over to the bed, kneeling and resting his chin on his arms so his face was on the same level as Amelia's.  
  
Staring at her like this envoked strange, half-forgotten emotions that he hadn't felt in abundance for such a long time, excluding, perhaps, the last few days.  
  
Compassion? he wondered. Is that what this is? And affection? Why am I feeling these things? I just want to be a heartless sorcerer swordsman, so I won't have to feel pain or sorrow anymore. In the past, that was all there was for me--when did that change?  
  
"It's all your fault," he mumbled to the sleeping Amelia in a tone that somehow refused to be accusing. "You rubbed off on me."  
  
Wearily, he closed his eyes, and, instead of gaining the cocentration he sought, Zelgadis found himself slipping deeply into unconsciousness.  
  
====================  
  
"Lina..." an uneartly voice whispered in the darkness.  
  
The breath caught in Lina's throat and she sat up quickly to examine the void for danger.  
  
"Lina Inverse..." the voice whispered again.  
  
Whirling around, Lina found herself face-to-face with a woman glowing with a golden light that refused to banish the surrounding black. Her face was hidden by long bangs. Lina felt the presence of awesome power.  
  
"Who...who are..." Lina stuttered.  
  
Ignoring the speech completely, the golden girl announced, "The time has come for a world of new foreseen by prophets of old. Power shall fade, leaving only the most powerful of all. Order shall fall, replaced by chaos seeking order forevermore. And the world will end."  
  
"What?!" Lina blurted. "What are you talking about?"  
  
But the lady was already fading away.  
  
"What is going on?!" Lina screamed in frustration.  
  
The woman tilted her head up and to the side, staring at Lina with cold, terrible eyes.  
  
"The end of the world is coming," she answered, then disappeared.  
  
=============================  
  
"WAIT!" Lina exclaimed, sitting up in bed.  
  
"Uh," she mumbled, recognizing the area to be Gravos' room, located in Filia's house, where Xellos was being cared for.  
  
Gourry was sleeping peacefully on the floor, oblivious to her cries.  
  
Filia slapped a sleep spell on me, she realized. Probably just to make sure I wouldn't distract her. ...She'll pay for that.  
  
Yawning and sliding out of bed, Lina didn't have time to change out of her dirty clothes--the startled shout from Filia's room interrupted that.  
  
"XELLOS! FILIA!" she screeched, flying from the room, readying a fireball in her hands, leaving Gourry behind, still sleeping, much more exhausted then he'd looked.  
  
Seconds seemed like hours as Lina rushed down the hallway. Pure adrenaline pumped through her veins as she nearly tore the door from its hinges.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" she screamed.  
  
Gravos and Jillas blinked and stared at the intruding girl, then pointed to the bed.  
  
"There someone a sleepin' in Sis' bed," Jillas explained, then exclaimed, "LINA INVERSE?!"  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Gravos asked in a slightly calmer tone.  
  
Filia began to stir, sparing Lina from answering.  
  
"Oh, my head..." she whimpered, massaging her right temple, and rising to her knees. Her back cramped in response, and she screeched, "AUGH! MY BACK!!!" as she threw herself back into her previous position.  
  
Staring at the scene, Lina announced, "Uh, Filia? You're draped all over Xellos."  
  
"WHAT?!" Filia exclaimed, launching to her feet, enduring the lower back pain by sheer force of will. Turning around, she stared bug-eyed at her audience, blushing in mortification. "It's most definitely not what it looks like!"  
  
A large, unexpected grin blossomed on Lina's face. "It looks like you're holding his hand to me," she teased.  
  
Filia's head shot to the side to see that, indeed, her hand was tightly intertwined with that of Xellos'.  
  
And, of course, Xellos' grip tightened ever more as Filia's embarassment escalated.  
  
Face turning a fierce red, Filia pulled, tugged, shook, and even attempted to pry her hand free before she finally lost her temper and screamed, "AUGH! LET ME GO, YOU CLINGY, SICKLY, LEECH-LIKE CREATURE!!!" Gravos, Jillas, and Lina cound only sweatdrop as Filia used a tad too much force, accidently dragging Xellos straight out of bed and onto the floor-- right where Filia had fallen a moment before after losing her balance.  
  
Filia's scream of rage was muffled by Xellos' chest.  
  
Xellos retains his personality even while he's comatose, Lina thought, then burst out laughing despite herself. Sure, Xellos was hurt badly and she was being plagued by stupid prophetic dreams, but she had this nearly overwelming feeling that everything would be alright in the end.  
  
Still chuckling, Lina helped Jillas and Gravos remove Xellos from Filia's person. It was hard work, and on more then one occassion, she seriously considered severing his arms from his body, but they eventually managed to separate the two safely.  
  
Ten minutes later, Xellos was back safe in bed and Filia had been successfully coaxed into ceasing her exhausted, frustrated, embarassed sobs.  
  
"You didn't catch much sleep, did you, Filia," Gravos asked gently.  
  
Filia blew her nose. "No, I didn't. In fact, I had only just started to doze off when Lina and the others arrived, and then I had to save that monster's life, and now I'm even more exhausted then before!"  
  
Sensing another uprising of tears, Lina interupted their formation. "But you did a great job anyway, Filia! He looks a lot more solid then before, not to mention he seems to have gotten some of his strength back!" Her revenge for the sleep spell would have to be postponed, it seemed.  
  
"I...I guess..." Filia whispered, mixed emotions rising up from within.  
  
"If I'm not mistaken," Lina continued, "he should be able to recover on his own now!"  
  
"Yes, his immune system had been disabled by that dagger. It should be working properly now," Filia informed her. "But he still hasn't regained consciousness--that must mean that he's putting all his mental energy into recovering. I don't think he's completely out of the woods yet."  
  
======================  
  
Back in Jillas' room, Amelia slowly stirred awake. She yawned, stretched, then rolled to her side, coming face-to-face with a dozing Zelgadis.  
  
Surprised, she nearly fell off the other side of the bed. But then she noticed that he wasn't actually in the bed with her, just kneeling beside it and resting his head on the mattress.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Zelgadis..." she sighed, and couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed. Then she blushed over the thought of being disappointed.  
  
Shaking such thoughts from her head, Amelia crawled out of bed and stretched out her sore muscles. She was still tired, but at least she had gotten some sleep on the road. Zelgadis on the other hand hadn't received the luxury and must have been completely exhausted.  
  
Without a second thought, Amelia concentrated her magic into her hands, and, with a grunt, managed to push Zelgadis up and onto the matress.  
  
After a trying battle a harrowing journey, a comfortable bed to rest on is exactly what justice demands! Amelia though in satisfaction.  
  
Silently tip-toeing across the floor and carefully exiting the room, sure to close the door behind her, Amelia wondered where she was--Lina hadn't told her anything about their destination.  
  
Then her stomach rumbled and she caught a wiff of her soiled clothes. Amelia wondered if there was food and/or a bath nearby.  
  
A small distance down the hallway, a door opened and a yawning Gourry exited.  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Gourry," Amelia greeted.  
  
"Oh, hi, Amelia," Gourry answered, smiling. "It's sometime after noon, though--we just got here this morning!"  
  
"Well, good afternoon then!" Amelia corrected herself, then asked, "Where exactly are we, Mr. Gourry?"  
  
"We're at, uh..." he rubbed his forehead and frowned in concentration. "Fr... fo... fil... filly... FILIA!" he exclaimed in victory. "We're at FILIA'S house!" he announced, proud of himself.  
  
Why does everyone have such weird, hard-to-remember names? Gourry asked the world.  
  
Amelia's stomach growled again. "You wouldn't know where the kitchen is, would you, Mr. Gourry?" she asked, sheepishly.  
  
"Of course!" Gourry replied, leading her down the stairs. "That's the first thing I look for in a house! How else am I supposed to beat Lina to the food?"  
  
Amelia giggled and followed his lead without question.  
  
They located the kitchen without trouble and, when they stepped inside, a little piece of paradise was there to greet them.  
  
Piled upon the countertop was a seemingly endless supply of delicious looking food, and bag upon bag of groceries awaited them patiently on the floor, begging to be ingested by the famished travelers.  
  
"Is this...heaven?" Gourry asked, in awe.  
  
Amelia wasn't able to answer, as she was currently shoveling handful after handful of food into her mouth, but she would have probably said something along the lines of, "I'm not sure, but if it is, then heaven is full of the burning righteousness of true justice!"  
  
====================  
  
Zelas Metallium labourously commanded her feet to continue on, feeling the weakened, yet distinct, presense of her son less then a mile away. Each step stole from her hasrily stored energy, and it became harder and harder still to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other.  
  
She wished she had the strength to teleport, begged for it, but the last time had nearly destroyed her--a second attempt would undoubtably end her life.  
  
Zelas could sense fear, desperation, pain, and other such dark emotions flowing from Xellos. It disgusted her to the extreme, but feeding from his anguish was the only thing that allowed her to continue on.  
  
I'm not going to leave this world without repaying everything he has done for me, she thought in determination, taking another step.  
  
=====================  
  
Lina, Gravos, and Jillas were surprised when Filia suddenly stood straight up, tail popping out from beneath her dress.  
  
"Filia?" Lina asked as the dragon wrapped her arms about herself and shuddered.  
  
"I...I..." Filia swallowed. "I can sense evil--I mean, I feel the presense of a monster headed this way!"  
  
"WHAT?!" screeched Lina, but she rushed out of the room before Filia could elaborate.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
1. Again, I would like to apologize for the lateness of this post--I told Riven that it would be up last week before or during the weekend. (It's ironic how my computer would decide to act up just when I'm in the middle of tying this up. _.  
  
3. Initially, I pondered who should arrive at Filia's first, Zelas or the so-called 'mystery character' (heh, I think everyone except my sis has it figured out :P). But when I considered what they were going to do when they got there, I found that my descision had already been made for me! n_n Funny how that works out, eh? Unfortunatly, the 'mystery character' won't arrive for a few more chapters (2 at most), but I'll be sure to create a whole bunch of neat little plot twists to keep everyone's minds off it, okay? n_n 


End file.
